Daily Digest: The White Knight

Everyone is trying to beat Bant Company right now, and by the time you read this, Day 1 of #PTEMN will be complete and should offer several concrete solutions to the current problem.

But as an instant gratification-loving American, I want my solution immediately, fresh out of the microwave and hot enough to burn my mouth despite still being frozen in the middle. I want the filthy Hot Pocket of Standard decks and I just might have it courtesy of Team MGG's Dan Jessup.

Big White initially spawned at the last Invitational but ultimately didn't have the power in a single color to make the deck work. It may seem strange to say that is no longer the case when the only addition from Eldritch Moon was Selfless Spirit, but I think the card does a lot for this archetype.

For one, it gives the deck another solid two-drop. The curve for this deck was an issue and adding another two fills that hole beautifully, since not only does this deck want to cast something on turn 2 like every other deck in Standard, but Knight of the White Orchid incentivizes you to play more two-drops so you can cast it along with another spell on turn 3.

As for its impact on games, it does a lot of small things that a good role player needs to do. It can get in some early damage, pressure planeswalkers, and protect your higher-impact creatures: Eldrazi Displacer and Archangel Avacyn.

But most importantly, it gives you an easy way to flip Archangel Avacyn. The mini-sweeper is excellent against Bant Company, so being able to threaten it on turn 5 is critical. Additional copies of Selfless Spirit can protect the rest of your creatures from the trigger, as can blinking your Avacyn, the Purifier with Eldrazi Displacer when the trigger is on the stack. Between those triggers and eight removal spells, this deck has the tools to contain Bant Company's creatures, especially Spell Queller.

With all that removal, you need a plan going long, and Secure the Wastes with Westvale Abbey is perfect in that role. It also lets you shift into a more controlling deck after sideboarding by bringing in hard sweepers and additional removal.

This is such a clean list with every card having its place that there is little to nothing left to do with it. At one point during #SCGBALT Dan told me he was 7-0 against Bant Company, so it certainly has the chops to contend in the current Standard metagame, and it has the power to carry on even if the metagame shifts after this weekend.

About Ross Merriam

Ross Merriam has been a fixture on the SCG Tour since 2012 and is one of its most decorated players with over twenty top 8s. He currently serves as the beardliest member of Team BCW and a content creator for StarCityGames.com, focusing on the Modern format as well as Magic fundamentals and theory designed to help you elevate your game.